Overt election campaign will end at 6 pm on Tuesday and from then on, till the end of polling on April 9, Keralam would enter into a 48-hour ‘silent period’. While in silent mode, can candidates and party leaders talk to the media? The Election Commission of India (ECI) has hinted that it is prohibited.

It is usual for news channels to seek bytes from candidates and leaders, particularly on the day of the polls. Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala, Rathan U Kelkar, said that there were “existing restrictions”.

“If parties have doubts regarding the interaction with the media, they can seek clarification in writing. We can give the guidelines to them in writing. Not just the instructions from the ECI but also the interpretations of these instructions made in various court judgements,” he said.

Does it mean that candidates have to take the permission of the ECI before speaking to the media? “No permission is required. It is just that these things are prohibited,” the CEO said.

He said that as per the ECI’s instructions, the ban is not limited to processions and meetings. “All election-related messages conveyed through the media is restricted,” he said.

Kelkar then read out Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

“No person shall — (a) convene, hold, attend, join or address any public meeting or procession in connection with an election; or (b) display to the public any election matter by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus; or (c) propagate any election matter to the public by holding, or by arranging the holding of, any musical concert or any theatrical performance or any other entertainment or amusement with a view to attracting the members of the public thereto, in any polling area during the period of forty-eight hours ending with the time fixed for the conclusion of the poll for any election in the polling area.”

“The instruction that we have received is that press conferences will be covered under the ‘a’ and ‘b’ clauses,” Kelkar said. But journalists seeking a byte and a press conference are two different things, Kelkar was told. “If there are confusions, parties can write to the Election Commission,” he said.

Do you mean to say that candidates cannot even give a byte to channels, he was asked. “We have to follow rules. We can sanction only those things that the rules allow,” Kelkar said.